Urie & Akane
by NaruForce1996
Summary: Description: Urie is an incubus, a womanizer through and through. There has been no one who has escaped his charms (with the exception of Ritsuka) and no one who has refused him…but now it seems that he has met his match when the unattractive Akane Yamakazi enters his life!
1. Chapter 1

**Description: Urie is an incubus, a womanizer through and through. There has been no one who has escaped his charms (with the exception of Ritsuka) and no one who has refused him…but now it seems that he has met his match when the unattractive Akane Yamakazi enters his life!**

Chapter One

"Alright class, listen up." Ozawa-sensei waits for the students to settle down before continuing. "We have a new student today."

He looks to her and nods. She lets out a sigh before stepping forward, meeting the gazes of multiple students. The whispers have already started. _Seriously?_ Her eyebrow twitches in irritation, but she goes on with the introduction.

"My name is Yamakazi Akane. I've moved here from Nagoya. A pleasure to meet you all." She says this with a very hostile tone and bows her head. Her flippant attitude doesn't go unnoticed.

"Geez, what kind of intro was that?" one student whispers.

"Yeah, it was so short," one person whispers back.

"I'm more put off by her attitude. She doesn't seem very friendly."

"I'm not sure I even want to be friends with her. Did you get a good look at her face? Totally weird," a girl giggles.

Akane's eyes narrow. _Well, I knew that was coming._ She straightens up with a frown on her face. Some of the whispers die down, sensing her annoyance.

Ozawa-sensei clears his throat. "Thank you for sharing, Yamakazi-san. Your seat will be," he looks across the classroom, "the one next to Tachibana-san."

A girl's head jerks up and her eyes widen. Akane ignores her reaction, assuming she's only acting that way because she doesn't want to sit next to the weird new kid. She sighs tiredly, really wishing this first day could be over already so she can go home. She walks across the room, ignoring the whispers that follow her all the way to her seat. When she sits down she notices the girl that had looked up with a startled look is staring at her. When Akane stares back, the girl quickly averts her eyes with a pained expression. Akane frowns. _What's her deal?_ Ozawa-sensei is already continuing with the lesson so she doesn't dwell on the question for long.

When class is over she lets out a deep breath, already worried about all the work she will have to do to catch up with the rest of the class. She stands up to leave, but suddenly hears a voice next to her.

"U-um…"

Akane turns to the girl. She freezes under her gaze and hesitates to continue. This only annoys Akane more.

"What?" she asks in an irritated voice and the girl's golden eyes widen. "Does my face scare you or something?"

She holds her hands up. "N-No! You have it wrong!" She lowers her hands and immediately looks guilty. "Sorry. I didn't mean to come off as rude." Her expression suddenly brightens and she stands up too. Akane steps back startled, surprised by the girl's sudden change of mood.

She smiles. "My name is Tachibana Ritsuka." She bows. "A pleasure to meet you!"

"Huh? Um, yeah…" Akane trails off, still a little unsure of what to make of this girl.

She continues. "Do you want a tour of the school? I'm sure it must be a little intimidating not knowing where anything is yet."

Akane's tense expression melts into a courteous smile. "Yeah, that would be great."

Ritsuka's smile brightens and Akane can't help but return it. There's a nice air around her and Akane wonders if she's already found a possible friend.

"I really am sorry about earlier though," Ritsuka continues. "It's just…" she trails off as the pained expression returns.

Akane frowns, feeling a little concerned. "What's wrong?"

She hesitates. "It's just that…I had a friend who used to sit in the seat you're sitting in now. Azuna." She pauses and turns away.

"Did something happen to her?"

She nods slowly, her eyes filled with sadness. "She…passed away."

Akane immediately scolds herself for asking. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine." Ritsuka tries to smile but it's too forced. "It happened months ago. I've had plenty of time accepting it."

Akane studies her, knowing that she isn't ok, but doesn't say anything about it. Instead, she tries to brighten the mood. "Hey, hey! Do you mind if I call you Ritsuka-chan?"

She blinks in surprise. "Huh?"

"I figured since we're already on friendly terms we might as well call each other by our given names." She pauses. "Or is it too soon?"

Ritsuka blinks again but a small smile forms. "No, it's fine. How about Akane-san then?"

Akane smiles. "Perfect." She then grabs Ritsuka's hands and squeezes. "Alright! Let's be good friends, ok?"

Ritsuka nods at her enthusiasm. "Sure!"

After collecting their things they walk out of the classroom, but they only walk a few steps before Ritsuka stops moving. Akane looks at her curiously but when she follows her gaze, she immediately knows why. Walking towards them is a tall blonde guy with green eyes and devilishly handsome features. Girls are gawking at him as he walks by and Akane can't help but do the same thing. His expression carries no emotion and he walks in confident strides, looking like someone who has been clearly groomed to be the next heir to some rich family and Akane wouldn't be surprised if that is true. The closer he gets the more good-looking he seems to become and she tries to avert her eyes, as if she's stared for too long. She's expecting him to pass by them, but instead he stops right in front of them and this greatly startles Akane. Are they in his way? She forces herself to look up, but notices that his eyes aren't on the two of them rather, his gaze is mostly focused on Ritsuka. Confused, Akane looks between the two of them and her eyes widen in surprise.

Ritsuka's expression has completely changed. Her eyes are brighter, her lips are spread wide in a beautiful smile and her cheeks are red with joy. "Rem-san." She says this with such affection and happiness that it can only confirm what Akane has been thinking.

The man has a smile of his own and although his expression is more refined, his eyes are undoubtedly filled with tenderness and warmth. "Ritsuka."

Akane looks back and forth between the two of them and lets out an outburst. "Ohhhh…!"

They blink out of their trance and turn to her as if she just appeared before them.

Akane chuckles in amusement and elbows Ritsuka. "I know we've only known each other for a few minutes but with a cool boyfriend like this, I expected him to come into our conversation a lot sooner," she teases.

"Huh?!" Ritsuka's face completely flushes. "Th-That's not…! I mean…Geeez!" She ends with a pout and Akane laughs at her.

"A friend of yours?" The guy is talking to Ritsuka but his gaze is centered on Akane. His expression has turned serious again, but it doesn't at all intimidate Akane.

She gives him a wide smile. "My name is Yamakazi Akane. Nice to meet you, Pretty Boy-san."

"H-Hey, Akane-san!" Ritsuka says flustered and I give her a teasing smile.

"So this is where you've run off to, Rem."

Akane stiffens at a male voice that has snuck up on them. Ritsuka looks over Akane's shoulder and her expression becomes slightly weary. The man walks into both of their views and Akane almost loses her breath at the side of him. Another abnormally attractive man has appeared before her and she can't help but stare. With his white attire and the red rose in his hand, he stands out even more so than Rem. He has long light brown hair and his skin is flawless. His gold eyes are the prettiest color she has ever seen and as she gazes at him, she notices that he isn't looking at her at all. His eyes went right over her head and onto the other two.

He has an amused smile on his face. "Ah. You came to see the butterfly, I see."

"That is nothing new," Rem responds, showing no interest in this conversation.

"I suppose not." He twirls the rose in his hand, looking keenly at Ritsuka. Akane stands awkwardly in place, noticing that the mood has changed and she isn't sure what to do. Having just Rem around was fine since he seems to be Ritsuka's boyfriend, but suddenly being around another hot guy is making her tense. She's noticing the stares from the girls around them, many of them out of jealousy. Akane almost chuckles in disbelief. She knew she was going to be the center of attention but she didn't think it would be like this.

Ritsuka suddenly grabs her hand, pulling Akane from her thoughts. "Sorry, but we have to go. Akane-san is new to the school and I'm planning on showing her around a bit before our next period."

"New student?" The man repeats and he looks at Akane as if noticing her presence for the first time. Akane's heart leaps and she looks to the ground, unable to meet his scrutinizing gaze. A blush is trying to work its way into her cheeks but she tries to fight it. The urge to look up at him proves to be harder for her however. She's never seen a man this hot up close before and she feels like she's depriving herself of an opportunity she may never get again. Suddenly, Ritsuka moves in front of her as if to guard her from the man's gaze.

"Urie-san." Ritsuka's voice is low with warning and this surprises Akane. She looks up then and finds the man leaning back, amused with Ritsuka's tone.

"Not to worry, butterfly. I wasn't going to do anything." He gives me a fleeting look before turning away. "I have no interest in playing with worms."

"Wha-?" Akane suddenly feels a spike of anger. Was he talking about her? She lightly pushes Ritsuka aside and angrily retorts, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

He ignores the outburst. He gives them a small wave before walking away and as he does so, a group of girls follow after him like dogs. This only pisses Akane off more and she clenches her fists in anger. Any attraction she has for this guy is still there unfortunately, but now she also feels the need to punch his pretty boy face in. With this encounter alone, she has already figured out that this guy has a rotten personality and she wants nothing to do with him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Akane-san, are you ok? You've been making that face for quite a while now." Ritsuka frowns before taking a bite of her food.

It's lunch time and the two of them have decided to eat in the courtyard. Akane feels bad about asking her new friend to eat outside with her, despite her saying she doesn't mind. Akane is only halfway through the day and she feels so drained. All the whispering was driving her crazy and she didn't feel like sitting in a cafeteria surrounded by it. She could imagine what people had to say about the strange new transfer student, especially now that it looks like she is acquainted with two of the most popular boys in the school. She let out a sigh in exasperation. The last thing she needs is a bunch of jealous pricks breathing down her neck.

"Akane-san? Are you in there?" Ritsuka starts to wave her hand in front of her face and she blinks out of her thoughts.

"Ah, sorry about that. I guess I was spacing out a bit," she puts her hand up in an apology and smiles sheepishly. The frown doesn't leave her friend's face.

"Is there something wrong? I was trying to tell you that you've been glaring for a while."

Akane hesitates. "Ah, well…"

Her voice gets serious. "Akane-san."

She stiffens.

"If there is something troubling you, please tell me. I know we just met earlier today, but I don't want you to feel like you have to keep anything from me." A flicker of pain crosses her face as she pauses. "I tend to always be kept in the dark, so…"

"Ritsuka-chan…" Akane looks at her in concern before slapping her cheeks and grabbing Ritsuka's hand. "You really are a true friend, you know that?"

She looks at her startled. "Eh?"

She tightens her hold around her hand. "I'm sorry I worried you. The truth is, I didn't want to be in the cafeteria because I wanted to avoid all the staring and whispering. I should be used to standing out, but…" she pauses and releases Ritsuka's hand. "It can still get pretty tiring."

Ritsuka looks at her sympathetically but can't help but ask, "Is it because you interacted with Rem-san? He still has a lot of fans…I should have said something about that sooner–"

Akane bursts out laughing, catching Ritsuka by surprise. "That may be a part of it, but that's not the main reason." She looks at her friend incredulously. "Haven't you noticed anything about me that stands out?"

She blinks at her and tilts her head, thinking. Realization hits her. "Could it be because of your eyes? It's true I noticed how pretty they were, but I didn't want to look like I was staring."

Akane nearly chokes on her drink. _Pretty?_ It isn't her first time getting such a compliment, but it has been a while. Usually she hears "weird," "creepy," or "strange" before hearing something like that. She can't keep the redness from her face as she tells Ritsuka, "T-Thank you."

She smiles. "Of course."

 _Does she really need to know?_ Akane sighs before continuing. "You see, not everyone thinks that my appearance is…appealing. I'm used to getting bullied because of it, so I really appreciate your comment."

Her eyes turn sympathetic again. "I see."

She opens her mouth to change the subject but then one of the earlier comments echoes through her head.

 _"_ _I have no interest in playing with worms."_

She grits her teeth at the memory and clenches her drink in anger. _That punk…!_

"A-Akane-san?" Ritsuka says warily, noticing the anger leaking from her friend's body.

She turns her head slowly to Ritsuka and she flinches from the creepy movement. "Ritsuka-chan…I have a question, actually."

"Wh-What is it?"

"That pretty boy earlier…the one with the damn rose. What was his name again?"

She blinks. "Do you mean Urie-san?"

Her eyebrow twitches. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"Ah, well, I guess you could say that." She chuckles nervously. "He's a part of the student council along with Rem-san and my brother."

The anger leaves her as soon as she hears that. "You have a brother that's part of the council?"

Her expression becomes conflicted. "Yes. My older brother transferred here as a third year."

Akane waits for her to continue, but realizes she's reluctant to say anything else. It's clear that Ritsuka has some secrets she doesn't want to share and Akane understands that more than anything. Before she can ask something else, Ritsuka interrupts.

"Ah, that reminds me!" She stands up abruptly and faces Akane with a determined look on her face. She then bows to her and Akane looks at her curiously. "I want to apologize for Urie-san's behavior earlier. I'll talk to him about that later today."

"Don't bother," she responds and Ritsuka looks up at her. Akane smiles but it's one that is clearly devious. "I'll make that bastard apologize myself." She stands up quickly with a triumphant fist in the air. "If there's one thing I hate doing is cowering in fear. Everyone in this whole school will figure that out eventually." She looks at Ritsuka with a bright smile.

As soon as she's over her initial surprise, she returns it and nods in agreement. "Yeah!"

They continue talking and eating happily, but Akane can't ignore the feeling of uneasiness that has been building up for the past couple hours. Subconsciously, she grabs her cross necklace and squeezes. At first, she thought it could be because of some of the nosy students staying within her range but she can't help but shake this feeling –

That someone…unnatural…may be watching her.


	3. Chapter 3

"'Everyone will figure that out eventually', huh?" Akane sighs as she walks her way back home. It's only been the first day and she already feels like it's been a whole week. The whispers didn't stop and now rumors are flying everywhere too unsurprisingly. Every time she catches herself thinking about her past school, she tries to direct her attention to something else no matter how minor it may be. She was hoping that before going home she could catch that rose bastard, but she heard from Ritsuka that he had already left.

 _I shouldn't be getting vengeful anyway,_ she thinks with a sigh. _He isn't worth my time._ Pain enters her chest. _No one is._

As soon as she gets to her house, she realizes that she has been clenching the cross around her neck almost the entire walk. She scowls and opens the door, immediately hearing the running footsteps straight towards her. She barely has both her shoes off before her little sister, Miyu, tackles her in a hug.

"Aka-nee! Welcome home!" she says with a toothy grin and Akane chuckles before hugging her back.

"Geez, Miyu. Couldn't you have waited until I was fully in the house?" She pinches the sides of her little sister and she howls with laughter before letting go.

"That tickles, Aka-nee!" she says, still giggling.

"Yeah, yeah," she responds and kneels to her height. "How was school?"

"It was fun! I got to make so many friends today!"

"That's great." _At least one of us is having a good time._ "Tell me about it more in detail later, ok?"

She nods her head, her brown curls bouncing. "Ok!"

She then runs off and a few seconds later, her older sister, Junko, walks in with her arms crossed. "How was it?"

"It wasn't bad as far as first days go," she says with a sigh. She stands up to give her a mocking smile along with a peace sign. "You're looking at the new weird girl of the second years."

Junko's steely eyes turn soft. "I'm sorry, Akane, but we had to move." She lowers her voice. "The place…it was no longer safe."

"I know that," Akane says coldly. "Well, I know what I'm allowed to know, at least."

"Don't be like that. It's for your own–"

"It's not for my own good, Nee-san, and you know it," she snaps. "Miyu is only seven so it makes sense not to tell her what we do, but I'm turning seventeen this year. Shouldn't I know by now what this secret is?"

Her expression hardens.

Akane takes a step towards Junko, her teeth grinding together. "Shouldn't I know…what exactly killed our parents?"

"Akane!" her voice turns sharp, unflinching. A tone that screams this isn't up for debate.

She glares at Junko with clear frustration, but doesn't push the topic further. She knows by now not to get into an argument with her twenty-five year old sister about this.

Even so, her anger is more uncontrollable than usual. With the new school, new pressure, and possibly new _threats_ , it's no wonder she feels more on edge though. Instead of pushing the issue further, she turns on her heels and heads for her room.

"Akane, wait," Junko calls but she ignores her. As soon as she reaches her room, she slides the door shut and lets out another sigh. Her mirror flashes at her from the other side of her room and she drags herself to it. Slowly, she sits before it and observes the girl staring back at her.

The first thing she notices are eyes that are different colors – her right one teal, the same color as Junko's sharp eyes and the left one golden brown like Miyu's bright eyes. Next, she notices the freckles all over her face, a trait that neither her sisters nor her parents had. There's also the scar across her brow along with many more beneath her clothes – physical evidence from the years of training and fighting she had to do in order to protect herself and others. She then looks at the shape of her face that isn't as round as Miyu's or as elegant as Junko's. Her wavy brown hair that gets easily tangled is tied up into two low and loose pig tails. She always admired how the bob shoulder-length haircut on Junko and the messy curls Miyu keeps back with a headband fits them so perfectly. Being around the two of them only makes her more aware of her imperfections – but she has had plenty of years to accept that.

She reaches for the cross again.

She has had many years to accept who she is, but no matter what, being an exorcist will always be the most alienating thing about her.


	4. Chapter 4

The second day already seems easier than the first when she wakes up for breakfast. Junko has already left to take Miyu to school and she has left breakfast on the table for her. It doesn't surprise her that Junko didn't wake her up herself. She probably assumes she's still mad about their conversation yesterday and that doesn't usually mix well with the crankiness that naturally comes with her waking up. She scratches her head and yawns before sitting down to do a prayer.

After she's done eating, the dishes are put away and she grabs the holy water needed to be put all over the lawn. She always wondered if the holy water was just an extra precaution; Junko put enough spells around their house where not even the king of Devils could break through easily. Despite that, she can't help but admit she feels better about the extra precaution. The great thing about it is all the spells and prayers don't bother ordinary humans. If she were to ever bring a friend home with her, she will know right away if they were possessed in any way.

Popping a piece of toast in her mouth, she finally leaves the premises of her home and heads for school.

A few whispers greet her as soon as she gets to the school gate. It bothered her the first day, but now that she knows a little more about the school and what the students are like, she feels better prepared. The whispering is pretty bad, but so far there seems to be less of a chance of confrontation compared to her last school. If she wants the rumors to stop, she's going to have to be more of an aggressor. She looks to her right where three girls are obviously whispering about her. They occasionally look her way with expressions that show clear distaste. Akane bristles. _I guess the sooner I start the better._

While she's thinking this, the girls continue with their hushed conversation, oblivious to the fact that Akane has noticed.

"Honestly, what's so great about that girl?" one of them says, sucking her teeth. "For Rem-san to approach her yesterday…who does she think she is?"

"She's probably getting close to Rem-san's girlfriend just so she can get cozy with the other student council members too," the other girl says spitefully.

"I swear, if she gets close to Shiki-san, she'll get what's coming to her," the third girl mutters, but the other two stiffen when they realize who has walked up behind her.

"If you're going to whisper about me, I'd appreciate it if you weren't so obvious about it," Akane says casually with a hand on her hip, her bag hanging from the other hand.

The third girl yelps in surprise and whirls around to look at her accusingly. "Wh-What do you think you're doing?"

"Me?" Akane bats her eyelashes in mock innocence. "I'm not doing anything except eavesdropping on the lunatics who are badmouthing me."

The third girl is almost at a loss for words. "Wha-? What did you just call us?"

 _Ease up on the insults, Akane. Save them for the pricks you won't be able to persuade._ She takes a moment to study them – narrowed eyes, crossed arms, shallow personalities. She figures they aren't worth getting to know anyway.

She gives them a smile that makes her look poised, confident. "For someone who whispers so loudly, it's no wonder you need some things repeated for you."

The second girl is unable to keep the anger from showing. "You…are you trying to pick a fight?"

"I'm not _trying_ to do anything," Akane argues. "I came over here with the slight hope that I could introduce myself to some potential friends but instead, I got one-dimensional girls who get jealous over every single person that threatens their little harem fantasy."

Two of the three girls are struck speechless with anger leaking from their bodies. The first girl however, has the courtesy of looking ashamed and averts her eyes. Akane manages to keep herself from smirking triumphantly and turns her back on them. "Instead of believing everything you hear, why don't you make an effort to see if the source is credible?" She gives them one final glance. "And instead of hiding behind your fantasies, how about you try to make them a reality?"

She walks away before they can say anything else, but the victory is short-lived. She can't help feeling annoyed over girls like this. All they want to do is put their frustrations out on someone rather than face the hard truth. It's infuriating. At her last school, some of the popular boys exploited that by leading girls on and letting them fight it out amongst themselves. In those cases, the object of their affection isn't any better than them.

She's so lost in thought she lets out a yelp in surprise when someone pats her shoulder from behind. She turns around to see Ritsuka staring back at her.

"Geez…I was calling your name for a while now. I was starting to think you were ignoring me," she pouts.

Akane giggles. "Sorry about that. I just had a confrontation with a few girls that were whispering about me. Their attitude got to me a bit."

Ritsuka's expression goes from shocked to annoyed, much to Akane's surprise. "I can't believe this! How can people be so bitter? It's like they have nothing better to do."

Akane laughs at her remark. "Wow, Ritsuka-chan. This is my first time seeing you so annoyed."

She gives her an incredulous look. "Why are you so surprised? Of course I'll get annoyed! Especially when it comes to things like this."

Akane pauses, remembering what one of the girls said. _Rem-san's girlfriend._ She grimaces. "Now that I think about it, you probably went through it too, didn't you? Being Rem's girlfriend must be tough."

"Huh?" Her face completely flushes and she turns away. "N-No, well, yes – it was hard at first. I realized after a while though that I can't let any of them get to me. Doing so means that they win and I refuse to lose to people who can't talk to me about it properly."

Akane looks at her in awe. "Amazing, Ritsuka-chan! You're tougher than you look!"

She giggles. "Thanks, I guess. I didn't do it alone, though. My brother, Rem-san, and his friends helped scare away my pursuers as well."

"Even so, at least you have the courage to stand up for yourself. I've met many classmates who couldn't even do that much – ah!" Akane flinches when a girl suddenly bumps into her. Before she can say anything, the girl with long dark hair looks up with a sour look on her face.

"Can't you watch where you're going?"

Akane blinks, surprised by the rude remark. "Excuse me?"

The girl then crosses her arms, her emerald eyes narrowed at Akane. Another girl with short red-brown hair comes to her side and glares at Akane as well.

Akane's brow twitches. _Ah, I see. The stuck up assholes have finally made their appearance._ She decides to start off civilized. "Is there a problem?"

The girl with the emerald eyes answers. "Possibly."

She smiles with irritation. "Oh?" _This bitch._

The other girl says angrily, "What do you think you're doing, glaring at Haruko-sama like that?"

Ritsuka steps in, sounding just as irritable. "You and Nakamura-san were glaring first. What is it that you want?"

Haruko continues her glare-off with Akane and says, "Nothing. I'm reminding the new girl to remember her place, is all."

Ritsuka's tone turns sharp. "Nakamura-san, you're out of line."

Akane scoffs and puts her hand on Ritsuka's shoulder. "It's ok, Ritsuka-chan," she says and steps forward. Judging from the way Haruko carries herself, how prim and polished she looks and the way her friend addresses her, it's pretty obvious what kind of girl she is. "Those are some bold words coming from a bratty rich kid. If I'm too breathtaking for you, just say so."

The other girl bristles and steps towards her. "You-!"

But Haruko puts a hand up to stop her. She smiles mischievously, which irks Akane. "Interesting. You think pretty highly of yourself, don't you?"

There's no doubt she's demeaning her, but Akane doesn't take the bait. "You could say that. You could also say that I'm being a little smug. I'm sure you're very used to that, _Haruko-sama_."

Akane can tell that she hit a nerve, especially with the mocking way she addressed her. She mentally pats herself on the back for being able to piss her off.

The other girl is about to bite back, but Ritsuka steps in. "Nakamura-san. Watanabe-san."

They look at her.

Ritsuka's gaze deepens. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't bother my friend. If I remember correctly, you have an interest in Mage-san, right Watanabe Emiri?"

The girl flinches and averts her eyes. Ritsuka turns to Haruko.

"And I believe you've been looking at Urie-san for a while now, Nakamura-san."

She only frowns at her in response.

"I'm sure you don't want either of them to hear that you're making a scene."

"What scene?" Emiri snaps. "We're only talking."

Ritsuka doesn't lighten up. "That may be true, but it wouldn't be that hard to have them thinking otherwise."

They're both glaring at her now. Haruko looks away with distaste and reluctantly walks away. Emiri sucks her teeth and follows after her without saying anything else.

As soon as their out of view, Ritsuka sighs. "I hate doing that…"

Akane blinks. "Doing what?"

She looks at her a bit tiredly. "Using Rem-san and the other members of the student council to fend them off. It makes it seem like I'm hiding behind them."

Akane still feels a little annoyed by the encounter but decides to use that energy towards teasing her friend instead. "Oho? Well, if I had a hot boyfriend and some hot male friends, I wouldn't mind hiding behind them sometimes."

Ritsuka turns red with embarrassment. "I-I already told you, it's not like that!"

She gives her a sly grin. "Not like what? You've already admitted that Rem is your boyfriend, remember?"

"Yes, but, well…" she trails off and sighs again. "It's complicated…"

"I doubt it," she chuckles and just when she's about to continue teasing her, a loud shout echoes down the hall.

"Ritsukaaaaaaaa!"

The two of them jump in surprise. Some of the students around them are muttering about the sudden rise in noise level. "Wh-What was that about?" Akane asks startled.

Ritsuka sighs tiredly. "You're about to find out in a second."

Just as she finishes her sentence, a guy comes into view and is sprinting towards them in what looks like full speed. Akane steps back, exclaiming in surprise, but Ritsuka doesn't move an inch as she watches the guy jadedly.

As soon as he reaches them, he bends over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Akane looks at the guy questionably, unsure of what to say, but Ritsuka has it covered.

"You seem to have a lot of energy so early in the morning, Nii-san."

Akane looks at her with raised eyebrows. _Nii-san?!_

Suddenly, he straightens up and grabs Ritsuka by the shoulders. She looks at him unfazed. "Ritsuka, how many times have I told you to keep your pendant on at all times? This is the second time in a row you've decided to leave it at home!"

"Nii-san, don't you think you're overreacting? I'm only heading to school, you know," she says to him matter-of-factly.

He tightens his hold on her shoulders, his teal eyes gleaming. "Seriously, Ritsuka? After all you've been through too–"

"Nii-san," she interrupts him and looks to Akane. "I'm with a friend right now. I'd appreciate it if you introduced yourself to her."

He blinks at her and then turns to where Akane is, surprised to see someone actually standing there. He lets go of his sister immediately and turns to her apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't notice that Ritsuka was talking with someone."

 _Even though I was right in your view?_ Akane is about to say as much, but pauses when she gets a good look at him. Waves of red hair, beautiful eyes, good build, flawless skin – she covers her mouth in surprise. _Ritsuka-chan's brother is hot!_

Ritsuka giggles and her brother widens his eyes before smiling. "Uh, thank you."

Akane blinks. "What?"

Ritsuka starts laughing then. "Akane-san, you said that out loud."

"Eh?" She blinks again before she looks at them in horror. "Ehhhhhhhh?!" _N-No way! Akane, you idiot!_

Ritsuka continues laughing until her brother grabs her by the nose. "Oi, Ritsuka, you're laughing too much. You're embarrassing her."

"I get it, I get it. Let go, Nii-san!" She rubs her nose as soon as he lets go and glares at him with tears in her eyes. He smiles playfully in return.

Akane smiles, suddenly grateful to be around such a warm group and addresses the brother directly. "So, what is your name? Or should I call you Ritsuka-chan's hot brother from now on?"

He chuckles before answering. "Tachibana Lindo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

With a grin, Akane says, "I'm Yamakazi Akane. A pleasure to meet you as well."

They continue talking for a while, until Lindo suddenly remembers something and tells Ritsuka they need to head to the student council room before class begins. Ritsuka looks slightly concerned and this doesn't go unnoticed by Akane. Ritsuka apologizes and says she'll be back before class starts. As they walk down the hall, Akane watches them for a bit, wondering what the student council members are like. According to Ritsuka, Rem, Lindo and Urie (that rose bastard she still had yet to see again) are all a part of the council. Ritsuka isn't a member but apparently is invited to all of their meetings. She wonders if it's because of her connection to Rem.

Instead of dwelling on it, Akane starts heading for class, not at all excited about the whispers that will surely be circulating around the room. As she's walking down the hall, a guy bumps into her shoulder and they stop walking at the same time. Akane looks over her shoulder with a frown, wondering if the guy bumped into her on purpose or if he overestimated the space between them.

The guy doesn't turn around right away and instead, she hears him mumbling about something that "smells nice." Akane's frown deepens. Should she say something or walk away? She decides to do the former.

"Um…are you ok?" It's a pretty lame question for a simple bump in the shoulder, but his behavior seems strange to her. When he still doesn't say anything, she takes a step towards him but halts when he finally turns her way.

"You there…" he says with a wide grin on his face and approaches her. She lets him come to her, but steps back when she realizes he's getting too close. She takes a few more steps back before deciding to stand her ground and is surprised when he's suddenly in her face.

"H-hey…" she stammers but is struck speechless by the sheer beauty of this guy. His red eyes are piercing through her and her heart rate accelerates. She no longer feels she can move.

The mysterious boy continues to smile but there is something sinister about it. He closes his eyes as he takes a whiff of her. She stiffens. He starts sniffing her neck, her shoulders and then down to her chest where she blushes in embarrassment. _What… what is he doing?!_

"Such a nice smell…" he says and for a second she's wondering if he's aroused. This only embarrasses her further. He then looks up at her. "You."

"Wh-What?" She's surprised that she can talk, given how choked up she's feeling right now.

His smile turns amused, feline. "What are you, exactly?"

Her chest tightens and luckily, she regains her senses. She moves back several steps, feeling somewhat violated. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He straightens up and starts to chuckle. She could have sworn that for a second, his eyes were glowing.

Suddenly creeped out, she turns on her heels and walks away but at a much quicker pace. The whole time she's walking down to her class, she feels like his eyes are still on her, watching her every move.

 **Author Note: Hey guys! Sorry that I waited so long to update from Chapter 1. This is my first fanfiction, so I'm getting used to how things work. I appreciate the support, so I just wanted to take the time to say, thank you! The times I update chapters will vary unfortunately, but I'm just letting you all know now that I won't leave the story hanging. Please feel free to keep leaving feedback as you move further into the world of Dance with Devils :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Within the next few days, Akane is successful in making other friends, one of them including the girl who whispered about her and felt guilty that one day. She had come up to Akane, apologizing for her actions and asked if they could get to know each other. This surprised Akane, since she didn't think her words got to any of the three girls, but was cautious during their first interactions to make sure it wasn't a trick. After a while, she realized the girl was being sincere about it. Other girls started following suit and gradually, Akane became less of a school outcast.

Despite that, the only friends she truly keeps close are Ritsuka and Lindo. These past few days, she has spent a lot of time with them, even going so far as to visit their house where she has met their mother. She has also learned that Lindo previously studied in England to become an exorcist. As soon as Akane found out, she wanted to immediately tell them that she was one as well, but held back. Instead, she had asked him why he became one in the first place. He ended up hesitating then, choosing his words carefully, and she realizes she never did get a full answer from him.

Right now, she is taking a walk around school grounds and has bullied Lindo into joining her. Ritsuka is usually with her on these walks but lately, she's been having some work to catch up on. Akane holds back from sighing heavily, knowing that by spending time with Lindo she is getting even more negative attention. Even so, she isn't going to let that dictate who she can hang out with.

"Oi, Lindo. You never did answer my question," she eventually grumbles to him.

He sighs, already knowing what she's referring to. "I told you, Akane-san, it's because of family matters. You're too nosy for your own good – ow!" He rubs his head where Akane karate-chopped him.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Akane," she pouts. "I hate when close friends of mine talk to me formally."

"Yeah, yeah. You're quite aggressive, you know."

Akane puffs out her chest proudly. "I know. It's one of my redeeming qualities." She pretends to do a hearty laugh and Lindo smiles while shaking his head.

Two girls are walking their way and Akane looks at them curiously. They stop in front of Lindo, looking really shy and nervous. Akane makes a face.

"G-Good morning, Lindo-san," one of them says meekly, her face reddening.

Lindo smiles at them. "Good morning."

They bow their heads then and walk away as normally as they can. Akane has to give them props for not running away squealing. She elbows Lindo, looking at him with a sly grin.

He frowns. "What?"

"You're quite a ladies-man, aren't you?"

He looks at her with clear confusion and she laughs at his reaction. It always amuses her how oblivious he is to his own popularity. She teased him about it every chance she got but he never sees it for himself. It makes her wonder…

"Ok, Lindo, spill it. Do you have someone you like?"

She expects him to either give her another questioning look or one of embarrassment. Neither happens. Instead, his expression becomes shadowed and his eyes are downcast. Akane stops smiling and frowns when she sees flickers of pain across his face. _Lindo?_

He tries to fix his mood by forcing a smile at her. Akane can see it's clearly strained. "I did – for a while. But I know it will never happen…I'm still in the process of getting over it."

Akane looks at him in concern before looking at the ground in shame. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

He looks at her in surprise and pats her on the head. She looks up at him. "Why are you apologizing? It's not a bad question to ask."

Her eyes are still sad. "Yeah, but…"

"How about I ask you the same question?" he says, a genuine, teasing smile now settled across his features.

She returns the smile. "No, I have no one like that." She pauses. "I won't lie – there are many good looking guys around, but I'm not shallow enough to fall for them on looks alone."

He chuckles. "I see."

She chuckles too, relieved to see him back to himself. "So, how is it you deal with Rem? You're very protective of Ritsuka-chan so I doubt you let her get a boyfriend without a fight."

Again, she sees flashes of pain. "He and I…have our differences. We tolerate each other for Ritsuka's sake."

"Oh…" she refrains from asking any more on the topic, seeing that it not only rouses pain from him, but clear irritation as well.

As soon as they part ways, Akane heads inside where she runs into Haruko. Akane puts on a look of indifference. Lately, she's noticed that girls have been stealing her stuff, leaving her notes, and bumping into her on purpose. They're in no doubt working for Haruko, but Akane hasn't called her out on it until now.

"What is it, Haruko? Have you approached me just to talk, or are your lackeys going to jump me from behind in another second or two?"

She bristles from the informal way she addressed her, much to Akane's amusement. Instead of verbally reacting to it, she flips her hair back and raises her nose arrogantly. "Those are some tough words coming from a cockroach. Sorry to disappoint you, but there won't be any ambush like that."

Akane snorts. "Oh?" _As if I'm stupid enough to believe that._ "Are we going to have a little chat then, after all?"

"It's not so much a chat as it is a warning," she retorts.

Akane crosses her arms, looking clearly disinterested. "Warning for what?"

Haruko clenches her fists from the lack of interest Akane is showing, but keeps the irritation from showing on her face. She smiles. "A warning to stay away from the student council members. It's an insult to them. Having a girl who is so…unpleasant that is hanging around them like a dog will give them a bad name."

Akane barks out a laugh, which catches Haruko by surprise. She expects her to be seething with anger or hurt from her words, not…laughing.

When Akane finishes, she looks at Haruko with a haughty grin. "Seriously? Is that the best you got?"

She grits her teeth. "What?"

Akane starts to walk past her. "If you're going to offend me, at least think of better insults. If not," she says as she passes her, "then stay out of my way. You're hardly a challenge for me."

Haruko is quiet for a moment and then says, "Is that so?"

Akane then enters the bathroom where she is suddenly overwhelmed by something wet and incredibly cold. "Ah!" she exclaims as the ice cold water completely drenches her and the ice cubes hit against her skin with such force they leave her throbbing.

She moves slowly, shivering from the sudden drop of her body temperature and hears laughing coming from all sides of her.

"What's the matter, Yamakazi-san? Did a little water scare you?" the girl with the bucket laughs.

"You look a little stiff. I thought your heated personality would melt right though the ice," another girl says, smirking.

"I think Yamakazi-san looks better this way. You see how her bangs are matted against her eyes? Now no one will have to stare at them all day," a girl to Akane's right sneers. More of the girls start shooting out insults until someone behind Akane claps her hands and they all quiet down.

"Now, now, ladies. I think we should give her a little credit." Akane is still stiff with rage and shock, but forces herself to turn around and look at Haruko, who is smiling with pleasure. She continues. "The fact Yamakazi is still standing means she still has a little spirit left in her."

Akane's anger spikes. "You…You little…!" She moves to grab Haruko, but someone's foot pops out and she trips over it. She lands on her knees and nearly recoils in pain from the hard landing. The other girls laugh.

"Such a bad temper," Haruko says, looking down at her. "And here I thought you were a person who could keep it all together."

Akane stiffens and clenches her teeth. She stares down at her tightened fists that are against the floor and closes her eyes in frustration. _Dammit!_

She stands up abruptly and pushes Haruko out of the way as she leaves the bathroom. Ignoring their laughs, she continues through the halls until she reaches another bathroom. Luckily, she remembered grabbing her bag before rushing off and although she wasn't able to save it completely from the water attack, the contents within it are still dry. She rummages through her bag until she finds what she's looking for and takes it out swiftly.

She quickly enters a stall, remembering she still needs to use the toilet and then carries on with changing out of her wet uniform to put on a dry one. Ever since her first bad experience at her last school, Akane has made sure to always carry one extra uniform in her bag. She figured an attack like this was going to happen sooner or later, but she didn't expect to be so unprepared for it.

After changing, she stays in the stall for a couple minutes so she can calm down. By the time she leaves the bathroom however, her frustration is still threatening to rise to the surface, so she decides to cut class instead.

She avoids the hallways she usually takes and makes it outside without anyone seeing her. The school is so big that it takes her a while to make it to the side of the school where the vegetation can help hide her. As soon as she sees the slight hillside where there are a bunch of flowers and bushes, she feels she's found a perfect spot.

As she gets closer though, she notices that someone is already lying there. Curiosity takes over and she continues forward to look around the bushes. Her eyes widen at the male figure that is lying across the grass with his eyes closed. Akane stands there for a moment, but moves quickly when she realizes she's staring. While debating about whether or not she should find a different spot to be in, her legs are already moving across the hillside and she ends up plopping down next to him. She hugs her knees, wondering what to do, and dares another glance at the handsome male.

A breeze comes in and ruffles the blonde hair he has tied back. She looks at the earrings decorating his right ear and the tight muscles beneath his tan skin. His hands are behind his head and his expression is somewhat tense, as if he's been frowning for a while.

Akane blinks and looks away. _What are you doing, stupid? Stop staring._

"This spot's been taken. Go somewhere else."

She covers her mouth to keep from squealing in surprise. She looks at him again but finds him in the same exact position. _That came from him, right? He isn't sleeping?_

She looks at him carefully but then bristles when his words sink in. Did he just tell her to get lost? Her brow twitches and she decides to scoot closer to him. No longer dazzled by his looks, she reaches towards him, ready to grab him by the nose or poke his forehead. He suddenly grabs her hand and squeezes. She flinches from the tight grip.

He opens up one eye in warning. "You deaf or something? I told you to beat it."

She scowls and pulls her hand away. "Oh, I heard you. My question is what makes you think I'm going to listen to you?"

Both his eyes flash open then. He suddenly sits up, which startles Akane and she considers scooting back a bit. Before she can, he grabs her chin and pulls her in closer.

"You said something real interesting just now." His gold eyes are looking at her intensely and he has a cocky grin on his face.

Irritated, she shoves his hand away from her face. "What do you think you're doing? I don't remember granting you permission to grab me like that."

" _Huh?_ " He looks at her curiously. "Don't girls like it when they are pulled in like that by a man? Judging from how you were looking at me earlier, I thought maybe I should turn you on a bit."

" _Huh?_ " she exclaims in the same crude tone he does and makes a roguish smile of her own. "As if. I have better things to do then to be taken by a cocky bastard like you."

"Cocky bastard?" He suddenly bursts out laughing then. "Interesting. I didn't think girls could have such a foul way of talking."

She smirks. "Oh, did you think it was just a guy thing? Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not your typical fragile girl."

"I can see that," he says and looks at her greatly amused. "I haven't seen you around before. You new?"

She nods. "I transferred here as a second year a few days ago. The name is Yamakazi Akane."

"Akane, huh?" he says, trying it out. "Not a bad name. Doesn't seem to fit you though."

"Well, I don't want to know exactly what name _you_ would pick out for me," Akane says with a look of distaste and he laughs. "What am I calling you, jerk?"

He points to himself proudly. "Nanashiro Mage. The best guy at this damn school. I'm strong, athletic, and guaranteed to make you scream with pleasure–"

She punches him in the arm. "Enough out of you, asshole."

"Geez…it's not every day I meet a chick with such a hot temper." He moves closer to her. "Your first time should be with me. I'll make your night."

"Wha-?" Akane blushes furiously and jumps to her feet. "What the hell are you going on about, stupid?! Wh-What makes you think I haven't had my first time?"

"It's so obvious you might as well have it written across your skirt." His smile becomes devious. "Nice panties by the way."

She gasps and drops back down, her face burning with embarrassment. She then starts hitting him repeatedly with her fists. "Bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard…!"

"Oi, I can't help it if you flashed me," he laughs, fending off her attacks.

She stops hitting him, but her face is still red with embarrassment and anger. _This bastard!_

No longer feeling like sticking around, she gets up again but in a more cautious way. She looks at him with a glare and he returns it by licking his lips, as if ready to pounce on her.

She bristles. "I'll remember this, you stupid bastard." She then sticks her tongue out and pulls the skin from under her eye down before briskly walking away. She refrains from throwing her bag at him as she hears him laughing behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Akane notices that more of the girls have been getting bold with her. She hasn't even reached the fountain in the courtyard before she is stopped by Emiri Watanabe and two other girls. "Ugh," she mutters and wonders if she should just make a dash for the school building. She's not in the mood to deal with them so early in the day.

"I heard you had a bit of an incident in the bathroom yesterday, Akane-chan. Such a shame," Emiri says amused.

Akane stiffens. She can't just ignore that. She flashes the girls a devilish smile. They shrink back with uneasiness. "Oho? So, you've heard about it. I find it interesting that you weren't there yourself. Maybe Haruko had no need for you?"

Emiri glares at her, but the anger is about how she mentioned Haruko more so than the words. "You…didn't I tell you to stop addressing our Haruko-sama with such disrespect?"

Akane puts her hands on her hips. "And didn't I say that I wouldn't be listening to a word you say? I'll show some respect once I get some in return."

She waits for them to say something back, but their eyes widen and they back up startled. She looks at them curiously, but then someone's arm slings around her shoulders and brings her close. She's too startled to react.

"Well, you heard her," a male voice beams. "This girl doesn't like being disrespected." Akane freezes. _That voice…_ She thinks about the guy she met just the other day and gapes. _Mage?_

"M-Mage-san…" Emiri stammers, her face now pale. "We were just…"

He brings her in closer and Akane scowls. "Messing with my girl? I can see that."

Emiri blanches. "N-No…" She bites her lip and bows, the other girls following her lead. "E-Excuse us!" They quickly leave and Akane watches them go, already dreading her next encounter with them.

She turns her attention to Mage and pushes his arm away irritably. "What are you doing? I didn't ask for your help."

" _Huh?_ " He bends forward to look her straight in the eyes. "Usually people thank their saviors, you know."

Akane crosses her arms. "I told you, I didn't need help. And what's this crap about me being yours? The girls already hate me enough as it is without you making it worse."

"Oh? Why such a notorious title anyway?"

Akane sighs. "Apparently being involved with any of the student council members can be more trouble than it's worth."

Mage's expression turns serious, almost irritated. "What members are you involved with?"

She thinks about it for a minute. "Hmm, well, I'm a friend of Tachibana Ritsuka and because she's seeing the student council president, that automatically means I'm connected to him as well. There's also her older brother, Lindo, who I'm friends with and he's the student council representative. Other than that, there's not really much of an involvement."

He suddenly shoves his finger against her head and she flinches. "You're forgetting one." He thumps her in the forehead. She rubs her forehead, grimacing. A grin appears on his face as he points to himself. "I happen to be the student council secretary."

"What?" Akane gapes at him. "N-No way! Seriously?" She clenches her head while letting out a huge groan. "Ahhhh how did I end up getting even more involved with the council? I have such rotten luck."

" _Huh?_ What are you talking about?" He grabs her by the face and looks at her somewhat irritably. "How is meeting me considered rotten luck?" His expression turns to amusement. "No, an even better question is, how do you know our Ritsuka?"

She pulls out of his grasp and glares at him. "I don't owe you any answers, you cocky bastard."

He laughs. "The hell? You and Ritsuka are nothing alike. How do you even get along?"

She gives him the same face she made yesterday. "None of your business."

She turns to leave, but then he grabs her shoulder and pulls her back. She bristles. _Why does he keep grabbing me?!_

"The girls that left said something interesting," he whispers in her ear and her heart stutters. "What's this accident they were talking about, eh? Don't tell me you pissed your pants."

Akane is thinking of telling him to go screw himself, but then thinks of something better. She suddenly turns to him and grabs his arms, which catches him by surprise. She has his hands rest on her hips as she looks at him from beneath her eyelashes. "What makes you think it was piss?"

"Wha-?!" He breaks out blushing, his mouth held open in shock.

Akane quickly covers her mouth and moves away from him, unable to contain her laughter. She turns away as she bends forward. "Your…face…" she says between muffled giggles.

He tries to compose himself but is still a jumbled mess. "Y-You! You were screwing with me?"

The laughing intensifies. "I can't help it if you have a naturally dirty mind." She looks at him again and almost starts howling from his completely flushed expression. "T-To think that the great _Mage-sama_ can make such a cute face–"

"C-Cut it out, you idiot!" he says and runs his hand through his hair, still blushing.

Akane laughs so hard she ends up snorting and she covers her mouth, mortified.

Now it's Mage's turn to laugh. "What was that?"

"Sh-Shut up, idiot!" she snaps, her face now burning in humiliation.

"What, you're getting embarrassed now?"

"O-Of course!" she lowers her voice. "I hate it when I laugh…"

He looks at her incredulously. "What the hell for? It was cute."

She looks at him with widened eyes. "You thought it was cute?"

He pauses, realizing his mistake. He starts blushing even harder than the first time. "N-No! That's not what I – shit!"

Another round of laughter hits her.

"K-Knock it off already, dammit!"

A few more minutes of them laughing and humiliating each other pass before the bell rings. Akane stops teasing instantly and turns to the school in horror. "Ehhhh! Dammit, I'm going to be late!"

"So what?" Mage says and she elbows him.

"Idiot. I don't know how often you skip but judging from your attitude, I'm guessing it's often. Get to class." She then sprints off towards the school, praying that she can somehow slip into class without her sensei noticing.

When class is over, Akane packs up her stuff and looks at Ritsuka's empty chair. Neither she nor Lindo came to school today. She makes a mental note to call Ritsuka as soon as she gets the chance. She's walking down the hall when someone suddenly calls her name.

"Oi, Akane!"

Akane looks over her shoulder to the opposite side of the hall. She sees Mage waving to her with a wide grin on his face. She turns to him and takes note of the guy he's talking to, his back facing her. She frowns. _An all white uniform, long hair…why does he look familiar?_

It isn't until the guy glances over at her, that she knows exactly who he is. "Hah?!" she exclaims and starts rushing towards them. Before Mage can get a word out, she points an accusing finger at the other guy, her face tight with anger. "You're that rose bastard!"

The guy narrows his eyes at her while Mage bursts out laughing.

"You've got a lot of nerve, you know," she seethes. "Insulting me that day, despite not knowing me. You owe me an apology."

The guy turns to her fully then and she's suddenly struck speechless. His eyes threaten to engulf her as he looks at her indifferently, his perfect features even more heart pounding than Rem, Lindo or Mage's. She has to blink a few times to snap out of whatever trance his looks have on her. Averting her eyes is the only way she can breathe properly. Why is she self-conscious all of a sudden?

"Sogami Urie."

She looks at him questionably.

"I'd prefer it if you used my name rather than such vulgar insults. As for me insulting you," his gaze deepens, "I hardly remember it."

She bristles. A smile has appeared on his face and she knows, _knows_ , that he's lying. He is indirectly telling her that she isn't worth remembering. She wants to snap back but is afraid that her voice might betray her. Her heart is still beating too fast for her liking and hearing the sound of his voice…

It's like a soft caress that completely coats her skin – warm and inviting. This enrages her. She would rather be into Mage than be smitten with a stuck up bastard like him. She wants to slap her cheeks and yell at herself to snap out of it, but the rising anger ends up being all she needs.

"Oi, what gives, Urie? Don't you usually treat ladies with respect or something?" Mage asks with his hands behind his head and Akane glares at him. It's clear that he's having fun with this quarrel.

Urie crosses his arms and twirls the rose in his hand. "Who I'm talking to can hardly qualify as a lady," he scoffs.

The tipping point. "You little…" she clenches her fists, her eyes hidden beneath her bangs. "You just insulted me again, didn't you?"

He takes his time to answer, looking more interested in the rose than the conversation. "I might have."

She considers throwing her bag at this pretty boy's face, but figures she has more control with words. She chuckles deviously, causing him to look back at her. "Heh…you think just because you're a big time player that you're all that? I've seen more appealing men in my sleep."

His brow twitches. "What?"

His reaction greatly adds to her amusement. Her devious smile broadens. "You heard me! With all this fame, I expected someone more up to my standards at least."

"…!" He looks at her speechless. Mage is laughing again. He recovers quickly. "Your standards must be impossibly high then. Are you sure you can afford that? You'd be lucky to attract someone with a quarter of my looks."

"At least I'm more likely to get someone with a less rotten personality. I'd rather die than go out with a guy like you!" she snaps and flips him off.

He takes great offence to both the words and vulgar gesture. He scowls, the stem of the rose now flattened between his fingertips. "You…!"

She sticks her tongue out playfully. "Come to me when you decide to apologize." She then walks off, leaving them both in the dust.

Urie sucks his teeth. "Well, it makes sense why the two of you get along."

Mage grins. "Right? The fact she gets under your skin so much is a plus. I'd love to make her mine."

He scoffs. "Do whatever you want. I want nothing to do with a girl like that."


	7. Chapter 7

"Man…what a pain." Akane stifles a yawn before groaning, the grocery bag swishing by her side as she swings it back and forth. It's the day off from school and Junko has her out running errands first thing in the morning. It pisses her off that she has to be woken up so early, but it isn't like she can ever complain. Junko has a lot on her plate since she has to basically raise them and Akane has sworn to never make things extra difficult for her. If that includes getting up and disrupting her much needed sleep, then so be it.

Akane yawns again, causing tears in her eyes, but she instantly turns grim when she is suddenly reminded of her mother. She clenches her fist. Mother would always chastise her for yawning so much in public. Mother would always sing every time she went out shopping.

But her mother wasn't here anymore. It's been five years, and she still couldn't fully accept that.

Akane is so lost in thought that she nearly misses it – the heavy feeling of dread that slithers down her spine.

Immediately she freezes, causing the couple walking on the street behind her to stop abruptly. As they mutter irritably while walking around her, her eyebrows furrow and she looks around her. The heavy wave of dread hits her again and she grits her teeth. She knows this feeling all too well. And judging from the specks of fear rippling across the dread, she now knows they've found a target.

"Shit!" Dropping the bag, Akane races down the street. She weaves around the people in her path, some she even has to shove her way past, while the feeling of dread intensifies. As she's running, she's looking at every alleyway she passes until she finally feels the dread throbbing, pulsing throughout her entire body.

 _There!_ She makes a sharp turn into one of the alleyways and runs as quickly as she can. As expected, the alley is dark, quiet. The perfect place for these creatures to manifest. She picks up the pace, the fear of the person being targeted now spiraling, and her eyes widen when she sees the darkness in front of her beginning to move.

She reacts quickly and pulls out the holy water from her pocket, opening the lid before waving it in front of her. The shadows begin to hiss in protest and as she gets closer, they start to split apart, revealing a young woman they had within their grasp. She falls forward and Akane catches her just in time, nearly swearing under her breath. The young woman's eyelids flutter and she groans but other than that, she's okay. Akane lets out a breath in relief and lays her against the ground before whipping out a short rod and turning around to face her enemies.

Akane swears as she sees the number of moving shadows surrounding her. Wraiths. They're dark spirits who prey on humans, feasting on their life force so that they can thrive. If there are just a couple around, their prey is usually able to survive, but with this many of them…the would woman would have been fully drained of her life force if she hadn't interfered.

The wraiths hiss at her, pissed that she interrupted their meal, but Akane doesn't even bat an eye. There are many of them, that is true, but it's not something she can't handle. She holds her rod out, which isn't even half the size of her forearm, and she closes her eyes as she concentrates.

Immediately, she starts glowing as she mentally says the words: _Power of the Divine, I call to thee!_ And her rod turns into a beam of light that is now the length of her body. She holds the rod with both her hands, takes a defensive stance, and smirks. "Looks like today isn't your lucky day, spirits. I'm afraid it's time for me to vanquish you."

The wraiths scream with rage as they charge at her, but Akane is already moving. She swings the rod with lethal accuracy, wielding it like a sword as she slices through them. The wraiths that are hit scream in agony before they disperse into tiny sparks of light. She slices and deflects, dodges and punctures over and over again. Four years of fighting experience and the weapons she use now feel like an extension of her limbs. The power comes to her with ease and she no longer carries the fear that plagued her in her early years. Now she felt confident, empowered, strong. And as she obliterates the final wraith, she lets out a liberated outcry, letting the sparks of light fall and disappear the moment they touch her palm.

No longer feeling a threat, she releases her power and the beam of light turns back into a regular rod. She shoves it into her pocket and turns her attention to the woman who's beginning to regain consciousness.

As soon as she is sure that she's okay, she helps her up and then bows to her in farewell before hightailing it out of there. She used an invocation on the woman to help put her in a daze so she wouldn't remember any of the events that happened. It's an important ability that she learned while training, so that it put the victims at ease and so she could protect her identity. Apparently, only very few exorcists are capable of doing something like this and it's only another tally on the list of things that make her anything but normal.

For some reason, she and her sisters barely have to use invocations to fight off demons and evil spirits. Invocations are said to call on a higher power for help but when it comes to her family, they don't need to call for help because they have power that's already _within_ them. She is also able to use any object, turning it into a Blessed weapon whenever she infuses her power with it like she did with the rod. Miyu hasn't been trained to be an exorcist yet because she's so young but Junko is the one who taught her how to use her innate abilities.

She lets out a sigh. Despite the handiness of her power, she doesn't understand why she's capable of it in the first place. Even among other exorcists, she is something special and thanks to Junko, she'll probably never find out why she's so special.

She sighs again, realizing she dropped the grocery bag when she took off. _I hope that it's still where I left it._ Wishful thinking, but she couldn't help but hope anyway. She rubs her head, feeling like a headache will likely be upon her within the next few minutes. Although wraiths are often found in dark alleys, it's extremely rare to find a large concentration of them so early in the day. To make matters worse, she still feels an evil presence at her school…

Akane bites her lip as chills prick her skin. Junko had moved them here because she thought their previous home wasn't safe anymore.

But Akane isn't so sure that this place is any safer.


	8. Chapter 8

Akane calls Junko the moment she gets home. She doesn't answer. She tries to call again, but to no avail. With a sigh, she decides to call her later. It isn't like they're in any danger now and if she calls too much at once, Junko will think something terrible has happened.

She goes upstairs to Miyu's room and pushes the door open slightly to see if she's still asleep. Miyu snores quietly underneath the covers, wrinkling her nose before turning on her side. Akane smiles and quietly shuts the door. She goes back downstairs and quietly paces in the kitchen, trying to figure out a way to deal with the sinister presence she's been feeling at school. She could try sprinkling holy water around the perimeter of the school but what if they were already inside? She can't do anything drastic because there's always a possibility of a demon masquerading as a student. Usually, she's able to sense when a creature from the underworld is near her, but she can't take any chances. If they're powerful enough, they could mask their presence quite well. She bites her fingernail in frustration. She doesn't want to bother Junko about it. It took her the whole walk back to convince herself to tell her sister about the wraiths, but to tell her that something might be hanging around her school too will cause too much stress for her. She needs to at least figure out what she's sensing first before mentioning it to Junko.

An idea suddenly hits her like a truck and she stops walking. Of course! Lindo is an exorcist – surely he has to have his suspicions as well. She could ask him if he senses anything and even if he doesn't, they can always investigate together. She mentally curses herself for not thinking of this sooner and quickly dials the number.

The phone rings. No one answers. Akane huffs and dials a different number.

She taps her finger against the counter while waiting. She immediately stops when she hears Ritsuka pick up the phone.

 **Ritsuka:** Hello? Akane-san?

 **Akane:** Ritsuka-chaaaan! Hi.

 **Ritsuka:** (Giggles) What's up?

 **Akane:** Well…I had a question for Lindo. He never seems to pick up his phone, so I thought I'd just call you.

 **Ritsuka:** (Sighs) Even though Nii-san is always nagging me about picking up the phone when he calls…

 **Akane:** (Laughs) Is he around?

 **Ritsuka:** Yes, I'll get him right now.

She calls for her brother while Akane waits. She continues tapping the counter. As soon as she hears him coming, she tightens her hold on the phone.

 **Lindo:** Hello? Akane?

 **Akane:** (Smiles) Correct! Oi, what's the point of giving me your contact information if you don't pick up?

 **Lindo:** (Chuckles) Sorry, sorry…I get so busy that I don't hear the ringtone.

 **Akane:** Huuuh? You seem to always pick up when Ritsuka-chan calls you.

 **Lindo:** Ritsuka is the only one I answer right away. I have to make sure it isn't something serious.

 **Akane:** …Lindo, you don't have a lot of friends, do you? ( _It almost seems like his whole world revolves around Ritsuka-chan)_

 **Lindo:** Don't say that…you make it sound like I don't care about anything else.

 **Akane:** … ( _That's exactly what I'm getting at._ )

 **Lindo:** What did you want to talk about?

 **Akane:** …I have something…I want to tell you.

 **Lindo:** (?) What is it?

 **Akane:** …I've been meaning to tell you this as soon as I found out what you are, but...

 **Lindo:** Whatever it is, you can tell me. We're friends, Akane.

 **Akane:** (Smiles) Thank you. That means a lot. (Takes a deep breath) You see, it took me by surprise when you told me you were an exorcist…but not for the reason you think. I am…my family is…we're all exorcists too.

 **Lindo:** (Silence)

 **Akane:** I'm not exactly sure why I didn't say anything right away, maybe it's because I'm used to working as an exorcist in secrecy. The only people who know I'm an exorcist are other exorcists that lived around me back in Nagoya. I-In any case, there's a reason why I'm bringing it up now. Lately, I've been feeling a dark, unsettling presence hanging around our school. I can't exactly place where it is, but I can always mildly sense it. Whoever it's coming from, they're very good at hiding. I wanted to know if you were feeling it too.

 **Lindo:** …

 **Akane:** (Waits)

 **Lindo:** …

 **Akane:** Lindo? Are you still there?

 **Lindo:** Akane…are you sure you haven't told anyone else this at school?

 **Akane:** (Blinks) I'm certain.

 **Lindo:** (Sighs in relief) I see…good. Akane, I need you to keep what you've told me a secret. It's important no one finds out you're an exorcist.

 **Akane:** (Frowns) Why?

 **Lindo:** I can't say too much about it…sorry. But don't worry about the presence you feel at school. It's being handled.

 **Akane:** (?) Being handled how?

 **Lindo:** …Sorry, Akane. Just please forget about it.

 **Akane:** What? I can't just do that. Lindo, what is this about?

 **Lindo:** …

 **Akane:** Lindo? Lindo?

 **Ritsuka:** Sorry, Akane-san. Nii-san handed me back the phone and left. He looked really serious. What were you two talking about?

 **Akane:** …It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Ritsuka-chan.

 **Ritsuka:** Even if you tell me not to worry, I'm still going to.

 **Akane:** It's fine. It really isn't anything bad.

 **Ritsuka:** (Sighs) Fine.

 **Akane:** Sorry, Ritsuka-chan. I'll talk to you later?

 **Ristuka:** Sure.

Akane hangs up the phone and sighs. She runs her hand through her hair while her face contorts with worry and suspicion. _What was that about?_


	9. Chapter 9

Akane looks around with narrowed eyes, her foot tapping as she waits at the front gates of her school. Ritsuka had come to the school extra early in order to help out the student council with whatever it is they're doing. Whenever she thinks about her friend blowing her off for the council, she can't help but smirk. There's no doubt about it that Ritsuka helps out the council just so she can spend time with Rem. She hasn't seen much of him surprisingly, despite his connection with her close friend, but he has to be a good guy if Ritsuka is so infatuated with him. When she thinks about Mage and that rose bastard being on the council though, her smirk turns into a scowl. She can just imagine them picking on poor Ritsuka – at least Rem and Lindo are there to defend her.

And speaking of Lindo…

"Aha! There you are," she snaps as she marches up to Lindo who has just arrived.

"!" He looks startled to see her and a sheepish expression settles on his face. He knows he's in trouble. "Ah, Akane…good morning."

"Don't 'good morning' me!" she tells him. "We need to talk."

Before he opens his mouth to make up some excuse or protest, Akane grabs him by the hand and pulls him to the side of the school building. She then crosses her arms and glares at him. "Tell me what you know."

He scratches his head, avoiding her gaze. "I don't…"

"No lies or excuses, Lindo. If there's something threatening hanging around this school, I deserve to know. I need to know so that I can help protect everyone."

He suddenly turns serious. "No one will be in danger." His eyes turn dark, dangerous. "I'm making sure of that."

She frowns, unaffected by his behavior. "It would be more efficient if we both took care of it." She pauses, her eyes widening at a realization. "…Lindo. You've known about this for a while, haven't you?"

He doesn't say anything.

"Why haven't you dealt with it by now?" She lowers her voice. "What is it that you're hiding–"

"Akane." His voice is heavy with warning and it startles her. "You have to trust me. If you want to remain friends with Ritsuka, you need to let this go."

The mention of Ritsuka both surprises and annoys her. "What does Ritsuka-chan have to do with this?" she demands, but before he can say anything, an arm is slung around her neck.

"Oi, what's going on here? Is there something you want with my Akane?" Mage sneers and Lindo's face suddenly grows darker.

"Geeez not you again," she mutters and she pinches his hand hard enough where he backs off.

"That hurts!" he scowls, wringing his hand out, but he quickly recovers with a smirk. "My offer still stands by the way. Rather than give yourself to this boring piece of trash, one night with me will make you–" He grimaces when she kicks him in the shin.

"That's enough out of you!" she snaps, her cheeks slightly red from what he was insinuating, but Lindo is still stone-faced.

"The two of you know each other." Lindo doesn't state this as a question. In fact, he seems completely put off by the whole encounter.

"Got a problem with that, half-breed?" Mage says, egging him on and the comment makes Lindo's brow twitch in irritation.

 _Half-breed?_ Akane looks between the two of them. Apparently, there's a lot of bad blood running within just the student council alone. Lindo and Mage continue glaring at each other, as if ready to start a brawl, but this only irritates Akane. She needs answers, not more drama. She opens her mouth to say as much, but the sudden sound of giggling ends up snagging her attention.

Akane turns to see a bunch of girls gathering in the distance. Their cheeks are flushed, their giggling is going on without pause and their shallow infatuation alone makes Akane want to shake her head with distaste. But that isn't what really bothers her.

What really bothers her is the bastard at the center of attention – that stupid rose bastard whose disarming smile practically has half of them nearly drooling.

She clicks her tongue for her rotten luck. _It's too early in the morning to be around this crap._ Deciding that none of this is worth her time, she's about to leave but Mage decides to make a comment.

"That arrogant swine always needs to drag his slaves around with him," Mage says, making a face. "Irritating as hell."

"You're one to talk," Lindo says, deciding to make a jab at him. "It's not like you don't take advantage of a good portion of the girls here yourself."

Mage scoffs. "Unlike Urie, I don't need to enchant a woman into falling for me. They do that all on their own."

"I can't imagine that any woman could fall for a perverted brute like you," Akane drawls out and Lindo smiles with approval.

Mage barks out a laugh. "And that's why you're my #1 girl, Akane."

She's ready to make a retort back, but the giggling has died down. She looks back simply out of curiosity and stiffens when she sees Urie looking their way.

He smirks and excuses himself from the girls before walking towards them.

Akane watches him startled. _What the hell…why is he coming this way?_

Judging from the looks on Mage and Lindo's faces, they're just as annoyed as she is.

"Grown tired of your harem today?" Mage taunts him, but Urie doesn't dignify the question with an answer. Akane keeps her arms crossed, her face set in a scowl. She isn't in the mood to start something with him, but if he so much as looks her way…

"It's such a shame," he says, bringing the rose to his face. He closes his eyes, enjoying the scent as he says, "It was turning out to be such a beautiful day…" He opens his eyes, piercing Akane with his powerful and alluring gaze as he adds, "But to have it cut short thanks to the sight of a worm is quite taxing."

Immediately, her expression is filled with rage but she holds back by gritting her teeth. As soon as her anger is contained, she callously remarks, "If that's your way of being coy, you've managed to make it quite cringe worthy. I was fine with just a simple apology, but now I think it's better to see you down on your knees, begging for my forgiveness. It's a look that suits you best, if you ask me. At least while you're groveling, I don't have to deal with staring at your sorry face while you're apologizing."

This has both Mage and Lindo laughing.

The atmosphere changes. Akane is startled by the amount of dread shrouding her, ice cold fear managing to shoot up her spine. The sinister feeling comes so quickly and out of nowhere that it leaves her almost disoriented. She's trying to figure out what's causing it, but then Urie says something to her in a deathly quiet voice.

"I do not grovel."

 _Huh?_ She looks back at him slowly. The clouds temporarily cover the sun in that moment, plunging them in shadows. And in that brief moment, while the breeze shifts past them, Akane is wondering if her mind is playing tricks on her…

Or if Urie's eyes are actually glowing.

Before she can even process it, Lindo is standing in front of Akane protectively. "Bastard…" Lindo says quietly and Akane has never heard him sound so angry. "Stay away from Akane."

"Back off, Urie." Mage is looking serious as well.

Akane is confused by their reactions, but she's even more stunned to see the amount of anger radiating from Urie. He's still looking at Akane, his gaze now threatening to make her suffocate while he crushes the rose in his hands. "I told you," he says, the wind ruffling through his hair as he responds to Lindo and Mage, "I don't involve myself with worms."

He opens up his palm, letting the red petals get carried off by the wind.

Lindo, and even Mage, move closer to Akane.

Urie smiles, but it's the most devious thing Akane has ever seen. He then drops the stem on the ground and walks away. Remembering herself, Akane speaks up. "H-Hey! We're not done–"

 _"_ _Akane."_ Lindo's demanding voice has her shutting up. "I don't know what that was about, but don't get involved with him anymore."

"Huh? No way! That psychopath still owes me an apology!"

"Half-breed is right," Mage says and Lindo shoots him a glare for the nickname. "Urie is not a dude you want to mess with. Unless you want to end up as one of his toys, stay far away from him."

"As if I'd let myself become one of his playthings," she retorts but she flinches from Lindo's hard gaze.

"Stay away from him, Akane. Promise me."

"But…!"

"He's nothing but trouble. If he confronts you again, call me or Ritsuka. Being alone with him is dangerous."

The last part instantly catches her attention. _Dangerous?_ "Lindo, I need answers."

His expression darkens. "I know, Akane." He turns away to hide the conflict in his eyes. "I know…"

 **Author Note: Hey everyone! I am so soooo sorry that it's taken me this long to update! I've been crazy busy lately because of school and work and other things and I haven't had the time to get back into the mindset for this fanfiction. The next few updates will be coming really, really soon (I might even be able to put up some more later today) so keep an eye out for them! Thank you all for being so patient with me. I'll make sure the wait is worth it :)**


	10. Chapter 10

"Alright, Ritsuka-chan, spill it."

"Huh?" Ritsuka looks at her, the chopsticks just inches away from her mouth. It's lunch period and they've decided to eat outdoors again. After their first time coming out here, Akane has realized that avoiding the cafeteria every once in a while is actually preferred by the both of them. The weather is always nice and they're away from any unwanted attention. Honestly, if she could make this a permanent thing she would, but it's important not to look too antisocial.

She continues looking at Ritsuka with narrowed eyes. "I want you to tell me about Urie."

Immediately, Ritsuka becomes guarded and puts down her food. "What about him?"

"Is there anything I need to know?"

"Well…" she says, scratching her face. "I don't think it's any secret he's a womanizer…"

Akane rolls her eyes. "I feel like that's an understatement for a guy like him…"

Ritsuka laughs nervously. "He is quite a handful…"

"Your brother doesn't want me anywhere near him."

Ritsuka actually nods in agreement, her expression now serious. "That's for the best."

"But why?" Akane presses. "What is it about him that makes the two of you uneasy? What aren't you telling me?"

Ritsuka averts her eyes.

Akane clenches her fists. "I don't like being kept in the dark either, Ritsuka-chan."

Guilt fills her expression and she looks solemnly at Akane. "I'm sorry, Akane-san. I want to tell you more, but if I'm able to keep you away from what's going on, I will." Sadness envelops her. "I've already lost so much because of all this…" She clenches the pendant around her neck.

Hating the look on her face, Akane drops the subject. "Ok, ok. No more questions from me." She holds up a hand. "I promise. I'll mind my own business from now on."

Ritsuka's face brightens. "Really?"

Akane nods with a smile.

She gives her a relieved smile in return. "Thank you."

They finish up eating and prepare for class. During the whole walk back, Akane is conversing and laughing like normal, while her mind is completely elsewhere. She promised Ritsuka she wouldn't ask any more questions. She never said she wouldn't investigate herself.

The next few days, Mage has been coming to pick on her and she occasionally sees the creepy guy who smelled her as well. When Akane describes the person to Lindo, his expression turns grave and he tells her the guy is named Shiki, another member of the student council. To realize she's further tangled in this student council is already bad enough, but now that Ritsuka and Lindo know Shiki has grown an interest in her as well, they have been sticking to her side as much as they can. Between all of them, she can't find the time to find Urie. She decides to stay behind after school one day by making up some sort of excuse and she tells Ritsuka to leave without her.

"Are you sure you won't need help?" she asks and Akane shakes her head.

"It'll be fine. If you're around, I may end up getting lazy," she says with a wink. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ritsuka doesn't look at all convinced. "Ok, if you're certain…"

"It's fine! It's fine! I'll be done in a jiffy." She gives her a peace sign and Ritsuka sighs, finally deciding to let it go.

"Don't do anything reckless."

"Hey, hey! Who do you think you're talking to?"

"It's because I'm talking to you that I'm saying it…"

Akane laughs. "Such a worrywart. If I end up burning down the school, you will be the first one I contact."

"I can't even take that as a joke." She sighs again and turns to leave.

Akane chuckles as she watches her go. As soon as she's out of sight, Akane's expression becomes serious and she moves in the other direction.

If this rose bastard is a part of the student council, there's a good chance he's staying after school.

Akane shoves a hand in her pocket, her fingers grazing the rod. She's had her suspicions ever since that day. When she felt that toxic air, and the sinister dread…she thought she was over-thinking it, but those eyes of his are not normal.

Her brain is telling her that searching inside the school makes the most sense; she can even try the council room. But from what she's gathered these past few days, he spends a great deal of his spare time outside.

She decides to walk around the school perimeter instead. Even if she doesn't end up running into him, this is a great chance to figure out what's causing such a sinister aura around this school.

Junko will be so pissed at her for doing this – Lindo and Ritsuka as well. But if she wants answers, she's going to have to take the initiative.

She looks around guardedly as she walks, paying close attention to how the wind flows, how the trees rustle and how the clouds drift above her. With most of the school deserted, she becomes very cautious of the sounds made around her. By the time she reaches the back of the school, it's gotten unusually quiet. The sound of rushing movement comes from behind her and she whirls around while her hand grips the rod in her pocket tightly. When she realizes it's just a cat, her shoulders drop and she takes a deep breath.

 _Calm down, Akane. Being this jumpy is unacceptable for an exorcist._

She slaps her cheeks and takes a moment to consider her options. Her best bet is to go to the council room. All this weirdness didn't start until she got involved with them. If she enters in the middle of the day tomorrow, she's bound to catch most of them there at once. She can demand for answers and if they refuse to say anything…what then?

She sighs. "Maybe cornering them individually is the best course of action after all," she mutters to herself while scratching her head. "At least then I have a better chance at intimidating them."

"You would have a much better chance scaring off a rock than a student council member, little worm."

Akane whips back around to glare at Urie who has suddenly appeared in front of her. "You…!"

He smiles. "Looking for me?"

She clicks her tongue as a response.

"Unladylike as usual," he says with distaste.

"Annoying as usual," she fires back. "Especially with that stupid rose you carry all the damn time."

He chuckles darkly, twirling the rose in his hand before throwing it towards her.

Akane doesn't even have time to blink before the rose zips past her, leaving behind an open slit in the fabric of her sleeve. _Wha?!_

"I would be careful not to upset me, little worm." There's a demonic look in his eyes, in his smile. "The butterfly and her pest of a brother are not here to shield you."

"I don't need shielding," she says assertively, standing her ground. "Sogami Urie. What are you really?"

He scoffs, tossing his bangs aside. "Am I supposed to answer such a ridiculous question?"

"Don't mess with me!" she snaps, getting ready to take out her rod. "That day when you approached us…your eyes were glowing."

"Hmmmm." He crosses his arms, looking bored. "Perhaps that was only a figment of your imagination."

"I know what I saw," she says darkly, but his façade doesn't change. "I'll ask you again…what are you? Are you responsible for this evil aura around the school?"

This catches his attention. He looks directly at her and she freezes underneath his piercing gaze. "Interesting," he says with a devious smile. "It seems you know more than you should."

 _Huh?_

Her hand falls away from the rod as she stares at him, transfixed. His eyes are glowing again but her body…she can't move!

Something dark and ominous is pricking her skin and her heart is pounding…but not because of the evil aura threatening to choke her.

It's because of his gaze.

His beautiful, unnatural, totally captivating gaze.

She can't turn away. And her mind…everything is turning into mush.

When he starts walking towards her, each footstep sends an earthquake towards her very soul. She still can't move. What is happening?

All she can do is stare at those glowing eyes, that disarming smile and perfect body…she wants to be near him. She wants nothing more than to submit.

 _No!_ Her mind is yelling at her. _Escape…ESCAPE!_

But her mind is put on pause before she can fully make sense of the situation. When he's only a foot away from her, he comes to a stop. Akane is trembling where she stands, a part of her fighting to reach out and touch him while another part of her, the sane part, tries to figure how to increase the distance between them.

Urie suddenly sighs. "I would rather not waste my seduction on an ugly duckling like yourself," he says and stares at her with amusement, "but I'm very interested in seeing you powerless before me."

"B-Bastard," she manages to say between clenched teeth. She goes rigid when he grabs her chin, his other arm coming around her waist.

She blushes furiously while swallowing her gasp. Her body has turned into an inferno, some parts of her melting from his touch. She can't…fight it. What's even worse than that is that she doesn't want to fight it.

As if sensing that, the amusement behind his smile grows. He looks down at her as if he's won, as if he knows exactly what he's doing to her. He brings her in closer, his lips just inches away from hers.

The brainwashed part of her wants him to hurry up. She wants him so badly she actually feels like she'll go insane without him. She is still somewhat there enough to know that this feeling isn't normal. It wasn't that long ago where she hated his guts!

So why…why does she want him more than the very air she breathes? It doesn't make any sense!

Suddenly, she remembers what he said earlier:

 _"_ _I would rather not waste my seduction on an ugly duckling like yourself"_

Seduction…he's using some kind of seductive power on her.

Her mind snaps back into reality as realization slams into her. He's an incubus!

In that second, her body starts glowing. Grimacing, Urie moves away from her while shielding his eyes.

With the trance broken, Akane regains control of her senses and takes out the rod.

"What in the world was that?" he demands, but she doesn't answer. Instead, she turns the rod into a Blessed weapon and goes straight for him with a battle cry.

He's too startled by the appearance of a weapon to fully dodge her attack and his arm gets burned before he can jump several feet away.

He stands to his full height, his arm slowly healing from the attack. "You're an exorcist?" he says, rage filling his eyes.

"I am," she responds, taking her offensive stance. "And before you can inflict any more damage on this school, I'm going to vanquish you!"

Despite the resolve behind her words, she can't stop the shakiness of her legs. A devil. This man is a devil. She has battled many evil spirits and demons…but never a devil. She figured that Junko's plan to get them away from excessive danger had backfired…but she didn't think it had backfired this badly.

She really hopes that her five years worth of training is enough to deal with him.

Before she can second guess herself, she goes straight for him again. He doesn't try to dodge. His appearance becomes more demonic as he readies to counter her attack. This doesn't slow her down.

But Ritsuka's sudden appearance does.

"Akane-san, stop!" Ritsuka runs right into the middle of the fight with her arms outstretched.

She stops dead in her track, pulling her weapon back before it can hit her. "Ritsuka-chan, get out of the way!" she snaps. "That man is a devil!"

"I know he is!" she exclaims. "Please, put the weapon away!"

 _…_ _What?_

Akane is so shocked all she can do is stand there, speechless.

"Ritsuka! Akane!"

Akane turns to the sound of Lindo's voice.

He comes to an abrupt stop beside Akane and looks her over. "Akane, are you ok? Are you hurt?"

She blinks, as she tries to process all of this. "I'm…"

Lindo goes rigid when he sees the torn fabric of her sleeve. She nearly gasps when she sees his eyes change from teal to red as he angrily turns to Urie. "You bastard…." The evil aura starts to shroud him and Akane backs away. "I've been holding back my restraint even though I'm fully against your possessed harem. But attacking Akane…"

Urie isn't paying attention to him. He's looking at Akane far too intensely for her liking. As if sensing this, Ritsuka turns around to glare daggers at Urie. Much to Akane's shock, he flinches from Ritsuka's gaze and reverts back to his human aura.

"What…what is going on?" She can't help the trembling of her voice. None of this is making sense and she isn't sure anymore who she can trust. She put her weapon away after Ritsuka interfered, but she's very tempted to take it back out.

Lindo looks at her worriedly and tries to walk towards her.

She backs up quickly. "No! What are you?" she exclaims, her hand in her pocket. "Your eyes changed! I…does that mean you and Ritsuka…"

"Akane-san."

She slowly looks at Ritsuka.

A sad smile greets her back. "I'm sorry this got so out of hand. I should have been here sooner."

She stares at her friend. "You never left the school, did you?"

Ritsuka shakes her head.

Anger takes over. "I need to know what the hell is going on. Now!"

They're all silent. Akane is about to go off on them, but Ritsuka quietly says, "we'll answer your questions."

"Rem will not be a big fan of telling an outsider. Especially an exorcist," Urie says and Ristuka glares at him again.

"What Rem-san wants doesn't matter. Akane-san deserves to know after what you've done."

"She was going to find out eventually," Lindo adds. A spiteful smile appears on his face. "She got you to expose your ability without trying, after all."

Urie gives him nasty glare while clicking his tongue.

"Enough," Ritsuka snaps at them and they fall silent. Akane's mind is reeling so hard she feels a headache isn't that far in her future. "Let's go to the council room. We will explain everything there."

"Fine," she responds coldly and starts walking towards the school without sparing a glance at any of them. "Let's go then."


	11. Chapter 11

Akane doesn't speak the entire walk there. She's too pissed, confused, and thoroughly uncomfortable about the whole thing. Luckily, Lindo and Urie stay a good distance away from her. She can't keep an eye on either of them since she's walking ahead with Ritsuka, but one wrong move and she doesn't care what any of them think. She will take her weapon out and listen to her instincts alone.

She can tell Ritsuka has been working up the courage to talk to her. It isn't until they reach the staircase that she finally speaks. "Akane-san, I know you're angry–"

She glares at her and Ritsuka flinches. "I'm far past that, Ritsuka-chan. I'm not even sure if I can consider you a friend anymore. Are you even human or are you one of _them?_ "

The words and hostile tone is like a slap in the face for Ritsuka and she looks away, hurt clearly evident in her expression. Akane feels too betrayed and angry to feel guilty about it.

As soon as they reach the tall, extravagant doors of the student council room, they start to open. If it weren't for the circumstances, Akane would have gawked at her surroundings. The room is far too huge for just a few members and yet, that is all it's used for.

She's reminded of that when she sees the rest of the student council already waiting in the room – waiting for them.

"Ah!" The guy named Shiki suddenly hops onto his feet with an excited look on his face. "The girl with the magnificent scent has finally arrived."

"About time," Mage says, hopping to his feet as well. "I was wondering how long we would have to wait here. I was this close to going out there myself."

"I wouldn't have allowed that," Rem says calmly from the center of the room, his hands clasped in front of him as he sits back in his chair.

Mage sucks his teeth in response while Shiki continues dissecting Akane with his eyes, admiring her as if she's a prized pet rather than a human being.

Despite her irritation and confusion growing, Akane gets right to the point. "The fact all of you were waiting for me only makes me more suspicious. I was told all of my questions would be answered if I come here."

That response has Rem looking at Ritsuka with a questioning look. Ritsuka holds his gaze, completely standing by what she promised Akane.

Silence settles into the room, but then Mage lets out an annoyed sigh. "We might as well get right to the point."

Before Rem can stop him, Mage holds out his hand with a wide grin. Akane nearly jumps back when she sees a ball of demonic energy form above his palm. "The truth is we're all devils," he says and the revelation has Akane turning gravely pale.

Finding out Urie is a devil is one thing…but all of them? She's been around this many devils all this time?

She whips out her weapon in a heartbeat and backpedals to the door. "Stay back! All of you!"

Urie casually walks into the room and settles onto one of the couches while Lindo and Ritsuka look at Akane warily. Mage whistles in amazement. "I've never seen an exorcist weapon like that. It makes me wonder how long it can last against my power."

"Mage." Rem gives him a look and he simply grins in response.

"Such a wonderful creature I've found…" Shiki says with a creepy look on his face. "I want to break her so badly…"

"Shiki-san! You are not helping," Ritsuka says sharply and he just shrugs.

Akane moves closer to the doors, her teeth clenching. She was holding doubt about being able to handle one devil…there's no way she can handle a bunch of them at once. She'll have to create an escape route for herself, distract them somehow.

"Akane, please hear us out," Lindo pleads, holding his hand out. "We won't hurt you."

"You expect me to believe that?" she snaps, keeping her weapon out in front of her.

"Akane-san, we…!" Ritsuka stops when Lindo puts a hand on her shoulder, telling her that he will explain first.

He faces her directly, his whole expression changing into something serious…and painful. "Akane…I haven't been honest with you since the beginning. If you end up hating me, it's understandable, but this isn't Ritsuka's fault. We didn't give her a choice."

"Just tell me the truth!"Akane shouts, her head ready to split in two.

Lindo doesn't hesitate. "I am a dhamphir."

Ritsuka looks at him in surprise, startled that he started with that revelation first.

Akane isn't so sure how to process what he's told her. "Wh-What?"

"I am half-human, half-vampire. Ritsuka is actually my cousin…since the death of my mother, I have been raised beside her as her brother."

"You might as well tell her who your father was while you're at it," Urie decides to point out and both Lindo and Ritsuka glare at him sharply.

Akane waits for further explanation.

Reluctantly, he admits to her that his father was Nesta, the king of vampires. At least, he was before he was killed. Akane can hardly believe what she's hearing. She's heard stories about demonic kings like Nesta…grew up on them and feared them.

And his son is standing in front of her?!

It's already too much to take in, but then Ritsuka steps up and with even more reluctance than Lindo, she admits that she is the daughter of the Devil King, Maksis.

That ended up being the most shocking part of all…that even her friend is part devil. The room feels like it's suffocating her and her legs are trembling. She doesn't know what to do. Her mentors have never trained her for a situation like this. Before she can react, Mage suddenly appears behind her and grabs her shoulders.

"Easy there," he taunts her. "We don't need you pissing yourself so late in the day."

For a brief second, she forgets everything as irritation guides her next movements. "Who said anything about me being afraid, _baka!_ " She tries to turn around and kick him but he disappears and reappears back into the room. She starts cussing out Mage, then Urie, then Rem and Shiki before shouting at Ritsuka and Lindo for keeping her in the dark about this for so long. After she's done, she has to catch her breath, and Mage suddenly starts laughing.

She's just about to start round two of her ranting, but she realizes that the irritation and anger has distracted her from the fear. Had Mage done that intentionally?

Her thoughts are silenced when Rem decides to finally rise from his chair. He walks over to Akane and all she can do is stand there with the rod in her hand. Keeping a weapon blessed takes a lot of energy, so she turned it back to a regular rod after trying to kick Mage away from her. She doesn't know anything about Rem, other than the fact that he's one of the most popular guys in this school and Ritsuka's boyfriend. She never once had a conversation with him and that only adds to the unease.

He stops just beside Lindo and Ritsuka, but his gaze has been only directed towards her, his expression devoid of emotion. No matter how much she tries, she can't get a read on him. He seems like such a polar opposite to Ritsuka.

She's so lost in her own thoughts, she nearly misses what he says. "The student council won't ever bring harm to the students of this school. You have my word."

Akane clicks her tongue. "Can you really make that promise for all of them?"

Rem looks back at them. Mage, Shiki and Urie flinch from his gaze. "Breaking that rule leads to consequences. They know to adhere to it."

Akane still isn't convinced.

"Akane-san!"

She's so startled by Ritsuka grabbing her hands that she nearly stumbles back. "I know I haven't been the greatest friend by keeping all of these secrets, but I wanted to protect you." Tears appear in her eyes as she holds her hands more tightly and Akane's chest tightens. "Azuna…Azuna lost her life because she was involved in this. Involved with me." She closes her eyes, tears slipping down her face. "I don't want to lose anyone else!"

"Ritsuka-chan…" Akane looks at her sadly and notices that Lindo and Rem's expressions have grown heavy with regret.

Akane hugs her. "I don't want to lose you either…but I have to know. The reason why I moved here…" she trails off, knowing that this isn't information she should say in a place where she doesn't trust even half the people here. She pulls away from Ritsuka and puts her hands on her shoulders. "I've had all this time getting to know you and I know you are a kind person. I see you as someone important to me, Ritsuka-chan. I don't know what to make of your lineage yet, but I do want to trust you."

Tears fill her eyes again. "Akane-san…"

"That goes for you too, Lindo."

He smiles at her with relief. "Thank you, Akane."

"Oi, don't I get a pass?" Mage exclaims and she makes a face at him. Ritsuka laughs.

To her surprise, Rem smiles. "I suppose if we're going to explain this, we will have to go back to the grimoire."

Shiki and Mage groan at the same time.

"The grimoire?" Akane frowns and Lindo sighs.

"It's a long story," he says.

"Well, it's a good thing I have time on my hands," she responds, crossing her arms. "Do continue."


End file.
